


Unlike Bucky

by 107th (FeelsVomit)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: I Tried, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-02-12 16:43:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12963825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeelsVomit/pseuds/107th
Summary: In 2016, Bucky was not the only Barnes alive. Rebecca Barnes was still living in New York City.Bucky goes to visit Rebecca, and she recognises him.





	Unlike Bucky

In 2016, Bucky was not the only Barnes alive. Rebecca Barnes was still living in New York City, although now she was Barnes Proctor. She was standing in the library. Bucky loved to read, especially science fiction. Rebecca read nearly all of his favourite books whilst he was at war, ready to talk to him about them when he came home. He never came home, and so she never read the last two books of his. _The Iron Star_ and _The Man Who_ _Awoke_ sat on the bookcase.

There was slight movement to her left so she looked up, expecting to see the librarian or someone else browsing. A man stood at the end of the isle between the two towering bookcases. Her blue eyes looked at the stranger opposite. Something about him was familiar. He was the same height and size as Bucky had been. His blue eyes more and more familiar the longer she looked. They were like hers. They looked similar to her brother’s. He looked like James. Hair longer and face scruffier, but he looked like James.

It couldn’t have been Bucky. Bucky was the older brother with a big smile that reached up to his eyes. James would make jokes and gently pick on her, fulfilling any duties he had as an older brother.  This man looked like joy had never touched him for a moment, not even a single caress of anything but pain. Eyes that flickered between empty ice and burning pain.

Bucky used to walk with a little bit of swagger, especially when there was a dame around. This man slumped under the burdens of the whole world on his shoulders. Folding in on himself as though he wished to disappear or be destroyed by the weight. Crushed by it, because he didn’t want to carry it any longer, and anything else would be better.

James had died in action. Her mother had wept for weeks solidly, the light never coming back to her eyes. She never recovered, and it slowly killed her. It killed so many mothers of so many soldiers. They had had a funeral. Two empty caskets. Bucky and Steve never returned. She helped her mother organise a joint one.

“Steve had no one left but us and Bu –“Her mother said brokenly, taking a few deep breathes trying to build any sort of dam against the near constant tear. “He will always have us. I promised his mother.”

They couldn’t afford much but Peggy Carter had come to them with red streaked eyes that matched her red lipstick. She used her role and status to give the boys a good funeral. The two flags were still upstairs. Rebecca couldn’t ever throw them out. Her husband never dared to try and convince her to do otherwise; he wasn’t stupid enough to suggest anything. They kept all of Bucky’s and Steve’s things that they could, not that there was much to start with. The government took some of Steve’s things, they weren’t as interested in Bucky’s things.

This man stood looking homeless, tired and dirty. A worn bag on his back, probably holding what little he had in it. The man broke the eye contact, turning and walking behind a tall shelf.

James had died 70 years ago.

This man was here now.

Rebecca turned away and began walking around the bookcases towards him, the debate in her head driving her to go the man. Steve had come back. Returned from the dead, the hero - the little kid with asthma walking New York again. Why couldn’t her brother be so lucky?

By the time she’d turned the corner and looked around. The man was gone.

He was like Bucky in that sense.

**Author's Note:**

> Also the books mentioned are great and you should look them up because old school sci-fi is awesome.


End file.
